


You Have To Fight

by kenezbian



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fight Club - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:04:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2126217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenezbian/pseuds/kenezbian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam Ellis stumbles upon a Fight Club in the basement of a shitty bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Have To Fight

Adam pursed his lips as he stood outside the bar. He was certain he’d heard right - 2AM Thursday night, seedy bar on the corner of 1st and Howard - but this couldn’t possibly be the place, it was all dark.

Just as he was considering leaving, a car pulled up and five men jumped out. “You sure this is the place?” one of them said in a British accent.

Another scoffed. “Fight Club is illegal, dumbass. It’s gotta be fucking dark.”

Adam perked up when he heard the name roll off the New Jersey kid’s tongue. He’d overheard two men talking about it behind menus at the restaurant he bartended at “You gotta come, man, it’s fun as dicks,” he’d said through his big handlebar mustache.

He shrugged and fell in behind the guys, looking them over as he followed. Handlebar Mustache was one of them, but he couldn’t tell which one was Brit or Jersey by looks alone.

They walked in through the bar and Handlebar led them downstairs to a plain concrete basement with flattened cardboard boxes lining the floor. There were nine other men waiting there, some stripped to the waist and others barefoot.

Adam skirted the group he’d followed and stood in the back. A well-dressed man approached Handlebar and his crew. “Geoff, Michael, good to see you again. I see you brought a couple friends?”

Handlebar smirked. “Gavin, Ryan, and Jack. I tried to get Ray to come but he’s a fucking pussy and said no.” He snorted. “Whatever man. These three will give us a good show tonight I think.”

"Yeah well I got dibs on Gavin." Jersey elbowed the one with the big nose.

"Wot? No, Michael, I’m not fighting! I’m just watching!"

"Rules are rules, Gavino, you’re fighting." Handlebar smirked and looked around, briefly locking eyes with Adam. "Looks like Jack’s got a rival for the biggest beard at Fight Club contest though," he said, nodding at him.

Adam stared at his feet, closing his eyes when he heard footsteps walking towards him. He swallowed as they stopped just short of him.

"What’s your name?" the well-dressed man asked him.

"A-A-Adam," he squeaked out, barely looking up through his eyebrows.

"I’m Burnie," he said, smiling gently. "How’d you hear about Fight Club?"

"The one with the mustache," he answered, shooting a glance at Handlebar. "He was telling the skinny one about it at the bar and I heard them."

"Seems like Geoff’s got a loud damn mouth then." Burnie patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck tonight," he said, walking away and moving to the center of the room. "Gentlemen!" he announced, getting everyone’s attention. "Let’s begin."

He began pacing the room and everyone drew forward into a tight circle. He followed, standing behind a short blond kid and a taller brown-haired guy.

Burnie cracked his knuckles. “The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is—” he stopped in front of Geoff, “—you do not talk about Fight Club.”

Geoff swallowed loudly and the rest of the group laughed.

"Third rule - if someone yells stop, goes limp, or taps out, the fight is over." The older man smirked at a tall Mexican in glasses. "You hear me Gus?"

"Yes boss." Gus rolled his eyes.

"Fourth rule: two guys to a fight." Burnie pointed at the two men in front of Adam. "That means you two can’t take on Monty together, so don’t fucking ask again."

"But Burnie—" the short one started.

"Look assholes, rules are rules. Two men to a fight." The two men looked at the floor. "Miles?" The tall one nodded. "Kerry?" The short one rolled his eyes and nodded. "Good. Fight him together on your own time. Not here."

Burnie took a break to take a drink of a beer, then wiped his mouth.

"Fifth rule: one fight at a time. That includes arguments." He shot a look to a tall dark haired man near the stairs who hadn’t joined the circle, and he just shrugged in return.

"Sixth rule: no shirts, no shoes." There was a shuffling as everyone suddenly moved to get rid of their offending garments; to Adam it seemed like this happened every week, even with the regulars. He set his discarded clothes along with wallet and phone next to the wall.

"Seventh rule: fights will go on as long as they have to. But dudes, be courteous, don’t keep us here all fucking night." The group laughed again.

"Eighth rule: if this is your first night at Fight Club…" Burnie paused and took a moment to look at the new guys Geoff dragged in, then turned and stared at Adam. "You have to fight."

Adam blushed deeply as the rest of the group turned to stare at him, and a cold feeling spread down his spine.

* * *

The first two fights had been Monty - a tiny little Asian man with quick feet and sharp jabs - against Miles first and then Kerry. Monty won both easily, barely having broke a sweat by the time Miles tapped out, and exiting the Kerry fight with merely a bloody nose from a cheap shot.

The three men carried each other out though, laughing the whole way.

Michael drug Gavin into the ring next, the Brit screaming weird guttural bird calls at first as he evaded Michael’s swings. He got into it though once Michael missed a swing and left himself open for a left hook, and from there it wasn’t long before Michael was screaming at Gavin “JESUS CHRIST STOP YOU’RE GONNA KILL ME YOU FUCKING MORON!”

Gus and Burnie stood near the stairs, cheering and drinking beers with the tall dark man, but never getting into the fighting. Adam figured it was their right, seeing as they obviously were the heads of this whole operation.

Jack, the big bearded one Geoff brought in, got paired up with a giant buff guy Adam later found out was called Blaine. Apparently muscles don’t mean shit because Jack had him KO’ed in a couple minutes with a clean fist to his jaw.

The last of the three new guys, Ryan, was challenged by a shorter man with a smudge of scruff across his chin. Ryan was cocky, but Geoff had grabbed his shoulder and warned him that this kid was a powerhouse.

The fight went for forty-five minutes, and even Gus and Burnie moved closer to join the mass of sweaty shouting men. Ryan was throwing punches but the guy was either dodging or blocking all of them, and he kept ducking under Ryan’s arms to get him in the ribs.

It ended when Ryan, tired and breathing hard from a cracked rib, tripped on a loose piece of cardboard. The kid grabbed his leg by the knee and pulled it out from under him, sending him to the floor and knocking the wind out of him, then straddled his chest and got in two punches to the mouth before Ryan could tap out.

As quick as he had jumped on him, the kid jumped off and helped Ryan to his knees, where he leaned forward to prop himself up on his hands and catch his breath, blood drooling from his split lip. The kid knelt next to him and wiped it off, taking a better look. “You’ll need stitches,” he said. “Come on, my car’s about a block from here, I’ll give you a lift.”

Ryan wheezed and spit blood on the floor. “You got a name you little shithead?” he said, a red-stained grin spreading across his face.

"Kdin, no A," he said, standing up. "Let’s do this again sometime."

There was a break in the action as Gus and Burnie swapped out the cardboard, and Adam took the moment to look around. Monty, Miles, Kerry, Ryan, and Kdin had left. Geoff was helping Michael wrap up a bloody hand while Gavin held a bag of ice to his swelling eye. Jack was sitting with Blaine, sharing a beer as they laughed about the fight.

Burnie cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Adam, you’re up.”

Adam blew out a breath and stepped forward into the circle. Everyone was staring at him and he stood up a little straighter, pulling his shoulders back.

"I want him," came a quiet voice from the stairs, and everyone turned to look at the tall man.

"You haven’t fought since you broke your elbow," Burnie said, eyes looking concerned.

The tall man walked forward and stretched out his right arm. “Doctor says it’s pretty much back to normal by now, so I figure it’s time to break it again.”

"Suit yourself. Whenever you’re ready," Burnie said, shrugging and walking back to his corner. The remaining men in the room stood up and reformed the circle around the two, and a cold drip of sweat ran down Adam’s back.

"I’m Joel. Burnie called you Adam, right?" He held out his hand.

Adam shook it. “Yeah, Adam.”

"You ever been in a fight, Adam?" Joel asked, pulling his too-large white shirt over his head.

"I was a kid," he muttered, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Alright. You wanna throw the first punch?" He balled up the shirt and tossed it over the heads of the crowd, then stepped out of his shoes and tossed them too.

"No, I don’t think—"

"Suit yourself." Joel stepped into Adam’s space and punched him squarely in the right cheekbone. Adam took a step back as white hot pain spread through his face, and he groaned. "Do you need another to get started?" Joel’s voice was snarky, and he was bouncing on the balls of his feet, loose fists in front of his face.

Adam heard Michael whisper to Geoff behind him, “You think the new guy has a chance?”

"Nah man, Joel’s tough as dicks, he’ll fight til he either drops dead or new guys taps."

"Come on, Adam, what’s the hold up?" Joel taunted, holding his arms open.

Adam frowned and walked forward, throwing a haymaker at Joel and hitting him in the side of the head. He took the hit but came back like it was nothing, jabbing forward and hitting Adam in the right ribs. “You sure you’re up for this?” Joel asked, circling him.

The younger man pursed his lips and watched Joel’s stance; clearly a leftie, and favoring his right arm to boot. Gotta get the advantage.

Adam started following Joel’s circle, staying on the older man’s right side as best he could, watching him for signs he was going to attack. He managed to push him off the first two times he tried, but the third time Joel faked him out and got a right hook into his chin, splitting it open.

The fourth time was another fake out but Adam caught on, grabbing him by the wrist and yanking him to the floor. He was instantly on top of him, knee in the small of his back, attempting a half nelson.

"Oh, a wrestler," Joel mumbled, and managed to squeeze out from under his knee and twisted out of the hold, sitting back on his haunches.

Adam pounced at him and pinned his shoulders to the floor. “Varsity,” he huffed, pulling back and landing a punch to Joel’s temple.

He got in a second and a third, but he somehow missed Joel lifting his knee up into his chest. He was pushed up just enough to lose his balance, and Joel took the opportunity to roll them over and hit him again before getting up.

He reached out quickly and caught Joel’s ankle, sending him sprawling to the floor, and Adam was on him again, skipping the half nelson this time and going for the full. He managed to get Joel into it, but the older man only laughed. “I can sit here all day until you get tired of holding me, you know.”

"God I fucking hope not," Gus whined from the stairs, and the group of men watching laughed.

Adam twisted his right hand until he caught Joel’s right wrist, and he let him out of the full nelson in order to pull it back as hard as he could. He dug his knees into Joel’s lower back, feeling it crack under his weight, and Joel groaned.

"Burnie made a mistake mentioning your broken elbow," Adam whispered to him, cranking on his arm even harder. Joel yelped and gritted his teeth, but wouldn’t say or do anything else. He grabbed the elbow with his free and pushed in on it, forcing it to straighten and then hyper extend, and Joel shouted. Adam swore he could feel the cartilage stretching, and Joel was writhing, trying any way he could to get out from under Adam without ruining his elbow.

Adam stretched his arm up higher, pulling it completely taut, and Joel was making horrible guttural noises and trying to bend with him.

There was a sickening crunch as Joel’s shoulder dislocated, and the crowd groaned. Joel shouted at Adam to stop, and he leaped up onto his feet and watched Joel roll onto his back.

"You okay?" he said, staring at the dislocated limb laying awkwardly next to him.

"Why’d you stop?" Joel asked, panting.

Adam looked around at the group, then looked back at Joel. “You said stop.”

"I did not."

"You did too!" Burnie shouted from the stairs. "First time I’ve ever heard you say it."

"Did I really say stop?" Joel asked, brown eyes wide. Adam nodded. Joel sighed and shook his head. "Fucking hell. And look, I barely even got you."

Adam’s swollen cheek, dripping chin, and sore ribs wanted to say otherwise, but Adam figured that Joel had probably given other guys much worse and kept his mouth shut. Instead he reached out and helped Joel to his feet. “We should go get your shoulder looked at.”

"Definitely. And when it’s healed, we’re gonna fight again."

"Oh yeah."


End file.
